I retired at 55, and this blog describes my experiences, observations and feelings about retirement.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Leaving racing behind?

OK, I would like to say that I am leaving racing and multi-tasking behind me, but that's only partially true.

I've had time this week to walk and observe God's paintbrush at work. I've walked in the neighborhood, and Mike and I had a wonderful trek through the park. Whether walking in bright sunshine or under dark, heavy clouds, each tree is more beautiful than the last. Tonight when I returned from a walk, the sky turned this light pink color, and I realized that maybe I'm noticing color again after years of racing to and from work.

I noticed another interesting thing about time and pace while doing some errands mid-day during the work week. First of all, it's not very crowded. Secondly, the people don't have that harried look of people doing errands after work or on weekends. Instead they have this calm about them as if they had all the time in the world. On Tuesday I went out for a late lunch and some leisurely reading. I was eavesdropping and heard a retired couple next to me discussing else they had coming up this week, and they didn't have anything until Thursday! At another table were two women talking and drinking iced tea, and it was obvious they were enjoying some time chatting long after their lunch ended.

The flip side is that I have been attacking chores and cleaning with a vengeance. I am a woman on a mission to get rid of clutter and create wide open spaces. Mike says I "am taking over" his house. I respond saying that I am merely putting some "Diane touches" on it so it feels like my own space. We are supposed to be cleaning for an upcoming Halloween party, but I've been cleaning with a different purpose-living here! It feels great to be making progress and seeing the house with different eyes.

So, I am a bit crazy this week: racing ahead on the chores and purposely slowing down to the pace of the world around me. Or said another way, I am getting my chores done quickly so I can play! However I spin it, there are parts of my world that are slowing down, and I am truly enjoying some time and space after a lifetime of racing..

About Me

My name is Diane, and I recently retired. I am exploring life after working for 30 plus years in banking and insurance. I love writing and photography, and I thought writing a blog about retirement would be a great way to chronicle this new chapter in life. And I'm starting to get used to the label "retiree", well sort of...